page_title: Currach
section_title: Sea-going currachs, c. 17th century
hierarchical_section_title: Currach / Sea-going currachs, c. 17th century
caption_attribution_description: Русский: "A portable vessel of wicker ordinarily used by the Wild Irish". Набросок курраха XVII века, сделанный английским капитаном Томасом Филлипсом. Хранится в библиотеке Pepysian Library, бывшей частной коллекции, принадлежащей Колледжу Магдалены в Оксфорде.
context_page_description: A currach is a type of Irish boat with a wooden frame, over which animal skins or hides were once stretched, though now canvas is more usual. It is sometimes anglicised as "curragh".
  The construction and design of the currach are unique to the west coasts of Ireland. It is referred to as a naomhóg. Another explanation is that it comes from the Latin navis, and it has also been suggested that it derives from the Irish nae, a boat.
  A larger version of this is known simply as a bád iomartha. It is suggested that the prototype of this wooden boat was built on Inishnee around 1900 and based upon a tender from a foreign vessel seen in Cleggan harbour. These wooden boats progressively supplanted the canvas currach as a workboat around the Connemara coast. This rowing currach measured up to 20 feet, and is still seen in water in North Donegal.
  The currach has traditionally been both a sea boat and a vessel for inland waters. The River currach was especially well known for its shallow-draft and maneuverability. Its framework was constructed of hazel rods and Sally twigs, which was covered by a single ox-hide, which not only insulated the currach, but also helped dictate its shape.
context_section_description: The construction and sailing of a seagoing curach of the 17th century – a hybrid of the skin-covered and plank-built boat – was depicted in some detail by an Englishman, Captain Thomas Phillips: "A portable vessel of wicker ordinarily used by the Wild Irish".
  Though doubt has been cast on the accuracy of these sketches, they are detailed and represent a valid development of the ocean-going currach. The vessel is some twenty feet long: it possesses a keel and a rudder, with a wickerwork hull stiffened by ribs, and with a mast amidship. Because of the keel, the craft is shown as being constructed from the bottom up. A covering (presumably of animal hides) was added when the wickerwork was complete, the sides being supported by rods in the interval.
  The mast is supported by stays and by double shrouds on each side, the latter descending to an external shelf functioning as a chainwale. The forestay is shown as passing over a small fork above the yardarm, which supports a square sail: a branch is tied to the mast-top. The stern is surmounted by double half-hoops which could support a covering.
  The sketches by Phillips imply that such a vessel was common in his day. The keel would improve the handling of the boat but the hull would remain flexible.
caption: Captain Thomas Phillips - currach
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